EL GARRAFON Isla Mujeres Natural Reef Park

Garrafon Natural Reef Park is well known all over the world for its astonishing reefs and cliffs right in front of the turquoise waters of the Mexican Caribben Sea. Just 25 minutes from Cancun, in the beautiful island of Isla Mujeres, this reef park offers recreative activities, such as snorkeling, kayaking, zip-line and tours through the island; and relaxation activities, such as mayan sauna -temazcal-, panoramic pool, lounge chairs and hammocks. In Pre-Columbian times the island was sacred to the Maya goddess of childbirth and medicine, Ixchel. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century they named it "Isla Mujeres" because of the many images of goddesses. The first information available about Isla Mujeres is from the period between 564–1516 AD, when it was part of the Maya province called Ekab. There were 4 Maya provinces in what is today the State of Quintana Roo. The Maya also exploited the salt that the island produced in the "salinas" (small interior lagoons). The salt was used not only for the preservation of food and medicine but also as a generally accepted currency for commerce of goods along the whole Maya region. The Maya goddess Ixchel had a temple in what is today the Hacienda Mundaca (Mundaca's Plantation House). A small Maya temple was once located on the southern tip of the island. However, in 1988, Hurricane Gilbert caused extensive damage, leaving most of the foundation but only a very small portion of the temple. Since the 1970s, along with nearby Cancún, there has been substantial tourist development in Isla Mujeres. The island of Isla Mujeres is located close to one of many coral reefs such as the one located in Garrafon Park, which is an area popular for its snorkeling and scuba diving. The Cancún Underwater Museum, created by English sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, is located off the western coast of Isla Mujeres.[3] Isla Mujeres is also home to a population of sea turtles. Because of the recent endangerment of sea turtles in the area, a facility was set up on the southern end of the island for their rehabilitation and breeding. This facility is open to the public